New Year's Eve

 We had a quiet New Year's Eve. All the Utah kids have left, but we were still planning on having a party and then Delwyn got sick with a cold and a bad cough, so we cancelled the party. Wade's family has been sick quite a bit this fall and they are all finally healthy and don't want to be exposed to germs. I don't blame them!

Delwyn and I did stay up until midnight. We worked on this puzzle that Landon gave me for Christmas. It is a challenging one! Goodbye 2024! It was a great year that brought 2 new grandsons and lots of fun adventures. Two other highlights were spending a lot of time in Utah with Britta and watching Landon and Denya run the St. George marathon. I'm excited to see what 2025 brings!

Landon's Birthday

One of Landon's favorites desserts is what we call fake cheesecake. It's no bake, made with lemon jello, and is much lighter than regular cheesecake. We didn't want melted wax dripping on it, so he got 3 candles.

Dagny and Lincoln wanted to be in the picture.

Hope he made a good wish, because it should be easy to blow out just 3 candles!

Two rather little presents.

Some gel to use when cleaning your car. It's supposed to pick up dust and small particles in the vents, cup holders, and other small hard to reach areas.  Landon recently got a new car and doesn't allow the kids to eat in it, trying to keep it clean and nice.

I love how excited kids get about presents and love to help open them.

 A car cell phone holder. Ryan got one, I loved it and wanted one, and now I'm giving the to everybody! Haha. They are so nice when you are using the GPS. You can just glance at it and see when to turn instead of having to pick up your phone and look down into your hand. 

Landon got a new job last year in June. He is the Chief Compliance Officer at Denver Health. It's a pretty high position and it was a huge pay raise for him. He has turned into a runner since his bariatric surgery and last year he ran a half marathon on the Fourth of July. I am so proud of him! He has so much energy and is always on the go. Happy Birthday Landon! Hope this is a fantastic year for you!

Claire and Millie Play Basketball

Claire and Millie are playing basketball this winter. Claire's team is the Dill Pickles! Both girls have played enough now that they are getting pretty good. Look at Claire blocking her person!

I was disappointed with Claire's coach. He was very competitive and didn't use his players equally. Sometimes Claire only played a few minutes, like 2, each quarter. He played his best players a lot and the others sat on the bench. I thought recreational sports were supposed to give kids equal opportunities and teach them how to play. How can you learn if you're never in the game?? I get it that eventually it does come to being the best, but I feel like these kids are still too young for that. A man and his dad were the coaches. The dad was nice to Claire and I saw him talking to her quite often when she was sitting out.  Next year her plan is to play basketball with the school and I sure hope that's a better experience.

Lots of running up and down the court!

End of the season medal. Yay Claire for being such a good sport!

Millie's team was the Cheetos! They still wear the same color wrist band as the person they are guarding on the other team.

Millie isn't afraid to be aggressive and she follows the ball.

Hoping to get the rebound!

I took a couple of pictures while her team was warming up. Millie takes a shot.

I think she saw me taking pictures and gave a little smile. 

I'm so glad we can be a part of these girls' lives and go to their games. We didn't go to all of the them, it lasts for about 8 weeks. It was so fun to watch them!

 

Shanna's Birthday

I have the best friends who always take me to lunch for my birthday! Nancy Brown, Marti Pooley, Leanne Laitinen, Susan Bodily, and Amy Bellum. I chose La Loma because Mexican food is my favorite and I had a chicken chimichanga.

Marti gave me these beautiful flowers,

and Leanne gave me these roses. Dahlias are my favorite flowers, but it's really hard to buy them fresh/at florist shops. These roses were extra pretty and and lasted several days.

Denya sent me this variety from Nothing Bundt Cakes and they were soooo delicious! Door Dash delivered them and I was very surprised.

Lincoln loves to make birthday cards for people,

and he drew a watermelon because he knows how much I love it. And the fun treats on the other side are definitely things I love too. Lincoln is just the sweetest boy!

Austin's family brought me these flowers on Sunday. Carnations are probably my second favorite flower. They last for such a long time and come in so many colors and are just so pretty when they are fully opened. I don't know what the little purple flower is, but it's so little and cute!

Delwyn surprised me with these fabric scissors! We don't usually give each other birthday gifts because we already have everything! And with my birthday being so close to Christmas, it's just hard to even think of anything I want. He did some research and these are some top rated scissors! We are getting rid of the storage shed and and I have tubs and tubs and tubs of jeans to cut up for denim quilts. Maybe that inspired him, I don't know, but these scissors cut through denim like a knife cuts through soft butter! Even on the seams and extra thick parts! I love them!

I had a great birthday and was definitely spoiled by my friends and family, I feel so loved! Denya, Britta, and Ryan all called me today, and so did Grandma. Wade and Kimberlea gave me a potted plant. Here's to another great year of life!

Everlee's Birthday

This sweet girl is turning 3! I made this orange bundt cake that we haven't had for a long time, but we all love. We have chocolate cake for most birthdays it seems, so this was a fun change.

She blew out all the candles! Yay Everlee!

Time for presents! I always give the kids some clothes because it's fun to shop for kid clothes! Haha.

A big present for such a little girl!

It seems like most trucks are made for boys, but this cute set has a girl and dog with a truck and a dune buggy.

Everlee loved the cake! I really do need to remember and make this more often. It has a glaze on top so it's light and not as sweet and heavy as most cakes.

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 Wade gave horseback rides and the kids loved it! Wade always has energy to play and he's such a fun uncle and Dad.

Happy Birthday Everlee! She is a little on the shy side and always stays right by me when we go to story time at the library. She is a Mommy's girl for sure. I like to ask her if she's my girl and she'll say, "Mommy girl AND grandma girl," and it's just so sweet. She likes books, baby dolls, and swinging on the swing set. We love our Everlee girl!

Maddie's Tonsils Out

Maddie getting her tonsils out! Lincoln had his out, and now Maddie! None of my kids needed to have their tonsils taken out, and neither did any of my siblings, and now 2 grandkids are having it done. Melissa sent me these pictures. Such a happy girl getting ready for surgery!

Having your tonsils out is more intense than I realized! Maddie ended up missing about ten days of school. They have to alternate Tylenol and Ibuprofen around the the clock for the first three days, including waking them up at night. It's really important to drink lots of fluids and that can be hard for kids when their throat hurts. Austin and Melissa bought two cartons of chocolate ice cream for her!

 She also got a Kid Kindle for Christmas knowing this surgery was coming up. Kids have to be quiet and calm for ten days to two weeks with no running or jumping around or it could cause bleeding. Who knew that enlarged tonsils affect the way you sleep?? That's one of the reasons Maddie is having her tonsils out, she snores and wakes up frequently during the night, so she doesn't get quality rest.  Good luck Maddie, I'm wishing for a speedy recovery for you!